Supporting Jordan’s Ministry of Environment in implementing its climate policy

Project description

Title: Intersectoral coordination for the implementation of the climate change policy of the Jordanian Ministry of Environment (GF-ICE)Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)Country: JordanLead executing agency: Ministry of Environment (MoEnv)Overall term: 2014 to 2015

Context

Jordan is one of the world’s most arid countries. In addition, it is affected by the impacts of global climate change in the form of increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall. Due to high birth rates and the continuous stream of refugees, the population is growing rapidly. There has likewise been a growth in industrial activity as well as traffic and construction. As a result, in the medium term Jordan will be faced with rapidly increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a signatory to all key environmental agreements, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, Jordan has geared its national climate policy towards reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.

The Jordanian Ministry of Environment is responsible for coordinating climate policy at the national level and managing its implementation. The Ministry has recognised the urgency of the challenges associated with climate change. In addition, it is aiming to play a more active role within international climate negotiations. Due to a lack of human and technical capacity, however, the Ministry of Environment has only been able to take on this role to a very limited extent.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and within the context of the Governance Fund for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the Intersectoral Coordination for the Implementation of the Climate Change Policy of the Jordanian Ministry of Environment project has been initiated in order to support Jordan’s national climate policy.

Objective

The human and technical resources of Jordan’s Ministry of Environment are strengthened to enable intersectoral coordination and implementation of the national climate policy.

Approach

At the national level, the project is providing advice to the Jordanian Ministry of Environment, other ministries, and further national and sub-national actors on the implementation and coordination of Jordan’s climate policy. One potential focus here is on providing households, companies and industry with a consistent supply of power using solar energy, which involves the ministries of energy, economy, construction and environment working together to draft plans, develop support mechanisms and monitor their success.

The project is strengthening the institutional framework required to reduce GHG emissions. This involves encouraging exchange across the water, energy and agriculture sectors and fostering cooperation between the individual actors. Furthermore, relevant stakeholders at the local and institutional level as well as the private sector are being increasingly incorporated into these activities.

In addition, as part of the climate change mitigation process, GIZ is helping the Ministry of Environment to prepare activities aimed at reducing emissions (NAMAs). These voluntary climate measures should then be incorporated into the national development plans and put into practice.

Staff at the Ministry of Environment and relevant sector ministries receive training from the project on how to improve monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions and increase networking among the participating actors. In addition, the project is supporting cooperation and exchange between the ministries, private sector and general public. To achieve change, the ministries must draw up policies on the use of renewable energy, for which the private sector needs to provide technical solutions. To ensure that the public accepts these changes, measures are needed to raise awareness about the benefits of renewable energy. All these activities must be coordinated. This will create transparency, improve flows of information on climate change and climate protection issues, and establish a basis for taking a strategic approach to climate change mitigation.